Anywhere
by Kiki Yushima
Summary: After being sentenced to Atlas by Ozpin, Qrow finds himself connecting with Major Schnee one night at a party despite his misgivings. However, a chain of unforeseen events force them much closer together than either of them would expect. Canon-divergent AU. Alternate character interpretations.
1. Chapter 1

Don't look back you're safe now

Unlock your heart drop your guard

No one's left to stop you now

—

You know you're dealing with an old-school fanfic author when they're unironically using an Evanescence song as the title.

But seriously, the song idid/i inspire this fic, so that's why I'm using it for the title.

Winter's also about seventeen at the beginning, just a couple months away from turning eighteen, so this starts sometime around June 2155 (four-ish years before canon. I also headcanon Winter's birthday as 4 Sept). Qrow's about 37/38. I know Winter still being underage is squicky/uncomfortable for some people, but it has reasoning behind it. Plus, there are timeskips that push her closer to eighteen.

Also, I apologise for the janky beginning; this is the first thing I've written in like 3+ months.

* * *

Qrow groaned as he looked in the mirror, swearing as he threw the piece of black cloth down on the nearby chair. Fancy parties were not his thing and never had been. He understood why Ozpin had sent him to Atlas, but it didn't mean that dealing with the upper-class blowhards and the damn monkey suits required for their parties made it any easier. Summer or Raven had always been the one to deal with his time since he'd never bothered to—

A knock on the door startled him and one of the overhead lights shattered, making him rub the bridge of his nose. "Who's there?" Seriously, who would be bothering him?

"Qrow, can I come in?"

Damn it all, of course it was blowhard Ironwood.

"What do you want, Jimmy?" The man was the last person he wanted to talk to after the day he'd had.

"Do you need any help getting dressed?" Qrow just rubbed his temples. His pride said no, but he also didn't want to look unpresentable. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the strip of cloth and walked over to the door, shoving it into Ironwood's hands. "A bowtie? That really doesn't seem to be—"

"Just shut up and help me. Then tell me why you're here." Ironwood was not a man that was skilled with subtlety in the least when it came to his dealings with Qrow. He was about as subtle as the skyscraper-dwarfing Goliaths he had grown up around. Stiff, rigid, and uncompromising—just like the culture that had produced him.

There were was a reason they were grudging allies at best.

Ironwood just sighed and closed the door behind him, making quick work of the bowtie. "I Really will never understand how you see through me so well, Qrow—" He just grunted. "—but you're right; I do have something to ask of you. One of my personal aides is here tonight and I wanted to ask you to be kind to her if you see her. I know I can't stop you from getting drunk while here in Atlas, but please at least try to be considerate if you see Major Schnee."

Qrow's head snapped up, eyes wide as he looked at Ironwood. "What?! I knew you sunk low, Jimmy, but to take on a Schnee?! You expect me to be nice to some pampered—"

"That's enough out of you. Major Schnee is on the way to being the best Atlas' military has to offer. She's gotten where she is on her own merits, perhaps not unlike a certain former teammate of yours."

Qrow's hand balled into a fist as he shook, head bowing. Several lightbulbs shattered overhead and he felt Ironwood flinch away. "If you come near me again this evening, you'll be lucky if your other arm is the only thing you'll be missing. And we both know there isn't a damn thing you or anybody else could do to stop me." His tone remained calm and stead, but his soft red eyes turned to ice. He saw the blood drain from Ironwood's face but the man straightened up, clearing his throat.

"I would suggest calming down a bit before joining in the main festivities, lest that Semblance of yours burn this whole place to the ground while you go drinking." Ironwood offered a bow of his head before leaving the room, a bit more briskly than he normally would have.

Qrow growled and drove his hand into the bed, one of the legs splitting as it buckled under the pressure and his Semblance. How dare he? How fucking dare he bring up Summer like that when he'd never even met her?! How dare he compare Summer to a good-for-nothing Schnee of all things?! It was obvious he was trying to kiss Gelé's ass by making him be nice to Winter. What better way to get access to rare types of dust than using the eldest daughter and promoting her to high ranks? Playing nice with Gelé to advance Atlas' military was all Jimmy cared about and he knew it.

But he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, breathing in and out for a few moments to try to calm himself. He started muttering a couple of mantras in Branwae, feeling his raging aura begin to settle.

"Self-knowledge is freedom."

"Calm is truth."

"Self-actualisation is power."

He hated having to call on the tenants instilled into him by the tribe, but they were the quickest way to calm down. The tribe stressed knowing one's self for calm because it brought out the greatest potential as a warrior and it did have some truth behind it. The better one knew themselves, the more control they had over aura and the more techniques they could use. He'd been extremely good with the advanced techniques at one point, but ever since Summer's death…

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and made his way out of the room, keeping his presence suppressed with his aura as he made his way over to the refreshment table. He picked up a few glasses of champagne, heading up to the viewing area above the ballroom. He really didn't like this bubbly, frufru stuff but it seemed to get him drunker faster than wine, so it was worth putting up since it made these excessively long events marginally more tolerable. At least these upper crusts knew not to bother him by this point with as much as he went off on them when he was piss-ass drunk.

He approached one of the darkened corners of the viewing area when he sensed another aura spark, though the person in question had tucked behind the plant he'd planned on spending the rest of the night behind. He really didn't feel like hauling his ass across the room to the other plant in the next corner… "All right. Why is a Hunter hiding there?" Everyone had an aura spark, sure, but he could only sense those from active aura users. Why would a Hunter be hunkered down like this…?

Tension clouded the air for a few moments before the plant shifted minutely and white caught his attention. A young woman in a simple, tasteful evening gown that started white and slowly faded into a pale blue at the very bottom stepped out. It flattered her upper body well, a shawl wrapped around to chase away the chill from where the thin straps sat on her shoulders. Gloves that matched the white-to-blue gradient went up to her shoulders. Her white hair framed her pale face, her sharp blue eyes fixing on him.

Damn it.

Of fucking course he'd run into Winter Schnee first thing. He did have to admit she was very pretty, but he just wanted her gone.

She smoothed out the dress' skirt before offering a polite curtsy. "Good evening sir. Do you have some business with me?" Her tone was polite but curt he could see her shift a bit, her gaze drifting down to the glasses in his hands. Even beneath the makeup, he could detect the slight paling of her cheeks and he sighed, putting them on the tray of a passing sever.

So much for getting shitfaced tonight.

Something was clearly upsetting the young woman and it'd likely be up to him to reassure her that things were fine.

Damn it.

"All right, what the hell were—" He saw her tense a bit more under his tone and he ran a hand through his hair. This was just reminding him a bit too much of how Raven had acted when they'd left the tribe and someone raised their voice to her for the longest time.

Damn him and his bleeding heart.

He leaned against the railing and sighed, forcing his body to relax. So alcohol and anger were her triggers, huh…? Not the worst thing he'd ever had to deal with at least. Some of Summer's had been a lot worse. Raven at least had at least desensitised after quite some time.

"So what's a Schnee doing hiding behind a plant? Usually you guys are the life of the party." It was subtle but he saw her shoulders relax a bit as he softened his tone and cast a glance out at the dance floor. Blacks and other colors sat on the right and left sides respectively, only a few only a few colors mingled with black towards the lower part of the floor. Damn Atlassian culture…

He caught Winter look down a bit, squeezing her hands in front her. "I…" He'd clearly caught her off guard so she wasn't sure how to respond. A slight tremor went through her body and he sighed. He had to get her to calm down before they could even talk to at all apparently…

"Name's Qrow Branwen, professional Huntsman. A pleasure." He kept his tone polite and and curt, only keeping her in the corner of his eye. He needed to keep an eye on her body language, but he didn't want to freak her out by having his full attention on her. Of course, he was less than please to meet a Schnee, but if it'd calm her down…

It was enough to get her to square her shoulders and offer another curtsy, her expression cooling and hardening. "Major Winter Schnee, personal aide to General Ironwood. I've heard of many of your exploits, Mister Branwen, and I know you and the general work together. It's a pleasure to formally meet you." He could feel his skin crawling with the uppity, superior tone she took, but he let out a breath to force it to pass. Something had clearly happened to her for the reaction she'd had earlier and Ironwood's unusually strong reaction, but he couldn't pin it down right now. Plus she seemed to be getting on her feet now so…

What in the hell was he supposed to do?

Damn it; he wasn't cut out for this.

Winter walked over the railing next to him and hooked some loose hair behind her ear, the simple motion one of pure grace. Not an ounce of muscle was wasted or out of place. It was…perfect, for lack of a better word.

He shifted so his elbows leaned against the railing and she looked at him. "So I assume you came here to get drunk, but why exactly are you at this party? Judging by how you were slinking off, this is not your usual sort of thing." Qrow sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose at her superior tone. How did anybody stand Schnees? Even if something had happened to her, it didn't men he liked having to be nice to her.

But he'd seen how scared she was, so he'd try.

"I'll answer that if you'll answer my question. Fair's fair, right?" He kept his tone nonchalant and Winter sighed, just tucking her hair behind her ear again. She then folded her hands over the railing in front of her, though she kept her gaze focused on the wall instead of looking at the floor. She seemed like the type that would people watch, so why wouldn't she…?

The music came to a stop a few minutes later and all attention drew toward the front entrance. Even with her watching the wall, Qrow could see the tension in Winter's body.

There was really only one person in Atlas who could draw such attention when arriving so terribly late.

He didn't miss the tremor going through Winter's body.

The pieces clicked into place and he held his hand out to her. "C'mon, let's go out to the balcony." HE kept his tone soft and gentle as Winter face him, visibly shaking at this point.

Summer's unease around Gelé made far too much sense now.

Winter stared at Qrow with wide eyes, the fear far too real in them. She just gave a nod and he swore mentally. Damn it, he was a trigger just through sheer virtue of being a man, wasn't he…? What had Gelé done that scared her this badly…?

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he led the way out to the balcony, holding the door for her. She gave a wary look for a heartbeat before going through. He left it slightly ajar as he followed, hoping it would be enough to give her some solace he wasn't completely isolating her from everyone.

The cool night air wrapped around them and they both leaned against the banister, an awkward silence hanging between them. Damn it, he wasn't good with people because he pushed them away. He'd been fairly okay with the tribe since he'd known everyone there, but once outside of it? He was horribly awkward and didn't know how to handle people. His team had been one thing since he'd known them so well, but shit like this? So, so beyond him. Why had he tasked himself with trying to comfort Winter…? Damn it, he was way too much of a bleeding heart. He'd tried to kill it with alcohol following Summer's death, but it hadn't worked…

"…Is something troubling you, Mister Branwen?" Winter shifted to face him and he sighed.

"I'm just not good with anything social. I avoid sh— stuff like this for a reason, but this is gonna be my reality for a while." He groaned and dropped his head. They had to find the Winter Maiden and didn't have Summer to help. She'd been trained enough to know how to sense another nearby Maiden as long as she was close enough, but now, they had only the Autumn and Summer Maidens, neither of who were keen to try to search for the others. The Winter Maiden hadn't been seen for some eight years now and Spring since Summer had died. There was the possibility of it being Raven, but Summer wouldn't have done that to her best friend especially not when Raven wanted nothing to do with the war. But Salem's forces were pushing closer, they needed to find the Winter and Spring Maidens and Atlas was the most likely place for the Winter one.

But one kingdom was an awfully big place for one person to search alone…

"…Likewise." Qrow raised an eyebrow at Winter's response but said nothing more. He fell silent as well, looking up the light-polluted sky, letting out a sound of disgust. "Is everything okay, Mister Branwen?"

Qrow looked over at her and blinked. "Eh, nothing big. I just forget how awful the skies over cities are…especially Atlas." It was objectively the worst. Even with the floating city being so close to the sky, the smog and disgusting pollution from the former city of Mantle still drifted upward and blotted out most of the stars. Tonight was a good night due to how the wind blew, but the city lights still choked out all but the brightest ones.

"…What do you mean?" A bitter retort rose in his throat, but the look on Winter's face silenced it. Her eyes stretched with curiosity, her lips pursed slightly. The look was almost that of an innocent child and it was hard to snap at that.

Qrow just sighed and turned his attention back to the sky. "…I grew up in a backwater tribe in central Mistral. We didn't have running water, electricity, CCTS access… None of the conveniences you grew up with, Winter. Our only source of light was fire and night tended to be my favorite time." He smiled and let out a small noise.

"My sister and I would always sneak out to look at the stars. We loved imagining what it'd be like to soar through the sky and touch them. We'd recite the old legends and sing the yukar we knew while tracing the constellations.

"Because the lack of artificial light, the pictures you see of the night sky by astronomers going out and studying the stars in the middle of nowhere are what I grew up seeing. Coming back to cities like this reminds me of how much I can hate them at times." His smile shrank a little as he remembered the first night they'd looked up at the sky from Vale. It'd looked like sixty or more percent of the sky had simply vanished. Even heading down into the Emerald Forest hadn't alleviated the light pollution. It'd taken them a long time to get comfortable with the light pollution, but they'd never entirely gotten over it.

Even around thirty years later, he didn't entirely like it.

"…I hope I can see the sky like that some night." the comment was soft and surprisingly innocent from the young major. "Do you think you could tell me some of the tales from your tribe?" He looked at her, seeing nothing but a wide-eyed innocence in her expression.

…She really hadn't seen much outside of Atlas, had she? He was loathe to talk about the Branwen tribe, but…it was effectively keeping her mind off Gelé.

He sat in silence for a few minutes, sifting through the various stories he knew and gave a brief description of each before his shaky tenor launched into the yukar proper in Branwae. He wanted to keep the meter and everything proper, so he couldn't translate. The most he could offer was a brief description of the content for Winter and hoped she'd understand why.

He wasn't sure how long it went on, but he only snapped out of it when he heard the door to the balcony open. He instinctively went for a dagger he'd hidden on his waist and Winter started. He stepped in front of her, but he relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Winter, Qrow, the party ended some time ago. Are you quite done with Major Schnee?" Ironwood looked at Qrow, blue eyes set, and Qrow just folded his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, yeah, go on. I should probably head back to my hotel anyway." Plus, he could stretch his wings after Ironwood left him. The grounds were deserted, so there was no chance of him being seen.

"…Thank you for your kindness, Mister Branwen." Winter's voice was cool, but he could still detect a faint trace of gratitude in it. She slipped out from behind him, offering a small curtsy, then disappeared into the manor. Ironwood raised one eyebrow and Qrow just gave a dismissive flick of his hand.

"You want me to play nice with her, right, Jimmy? Well I did what you asked. See you next party." He gave a mocking, two-fingered salute before he transformed into a bird and took off into the sky.

"Qrow!"

It didn't take long for Ironwood to disappear into the manor as he rose higher into the sky, pulling away from the smog. The stars glittered like diamonds against an onyx cloak, offering pure silence after the noisy evening.


	2. Chapter 2

I apologise for subpar quality on this chapter. I'm trying to get back in the groove of writing after like a 5+ month extended hiatus.

* * *

Winter looked up when she heard hurried footsteps behind her and tensed a bit though she relaxed once she realised it was just James. SHe started to smile, but it faded when she saw the subtle downturn of his mouth and put a hand on his arm. "Is everything all right, sir?" It wasn't like him to be so rattled. She could easily see that Qrow was combative, but he didn't seem _ that _bad after how attentive he'd been to her.

James ran a hand through his hair before offering Winter his arm. She wrapped hers around it, feeling much steadier now that he was here. "Let's just leave it at Qrow and I are grudging allies at the best of times. I hope he wasn't too disagreeable toward you. He didn't seem as plastered as he normally is."

"As far as I can tell, he didn't drink a drop tonight. He was going to since he had several glasses of champagne, but he passed on them. I could also see a few places where he had flasks, but he never once went for them. He was…combative at first, but quite amicable and understanding the whole night. I will admit his ability to read people is…unnerving, though." Qrow obviously wasn't wise to the ways of Atlassian high society. Then again, considering his upbringing, she wasn't too surprised.

James sighed and put a hand over his eyes. "…I will never understand that man. He is so inconsistent it's infuriating." He let out a hard breath before looking at Winter "…Well, I'm glad to hear he was kind to you. HE'll be in Atlas on a while on a mission for Ozpin, so, if you'd like, I could have him escort you to the next few events." Winter's throat stuck at the reminder. James would be gone for the next two months and she'd be at a few events Gelé would also be in attendance…and she'd be expected to be in public unlike the one they were just now leaving.

She shifted her weight a bit, her grip tightening on his arm. He placed his free hand on her head and smiled down at her. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Winter; I promise. I wish I could off you better protection than just Qrow but…"

She just nodded as she looked down. They couldn't trust just any of the men in the Atlassian upper class or military outside of him, and to have a female escort… It would only turn everyone against her further. She was in such a difficult position.

"I'm frankly still terrified of him, but I would be of any man." She hated to admit her weakness, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Damn gelé and his treatment of her…

She let oua breath, though, as she looked up at James. "I suppose he'd be a better escort than others." The risk of somebody else trying to take advantage of her when she was in such a vulnerable emotional state following one these damnable dances was just _ far _too high.

"I'll speak to him when I meet with him in a few days." James sighed again and Winter just gave his arm a light squeeze. She couldn't blame him because Qrow did seem inconsistent at best but… At least he did seem honest in his approach to how he'd handled her.

They reached the car and he opened the door. She slid in and lean against hima fter he got in. What a long night… She was glad it was over. "Get some sleep once you get to your apartment, Winter. You could use it." She just nodded as she released the tension from her body as his arm wrapped around her. He had been more of a father to her than Gelé ever had…

Ω

Qrow sighed as he headed into Atlas Academy. What in the hell did Jimmy want? He wasn't going anywhere for a while since Ozpin had told him to keep his ass put to see if there was any sign of the Winter Maiden, so it didn't make any sense to call him in like this.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw Winter filing paperwork at a desk in front of the general's office. Yeah, James had said she was his aide but even so…

She looked up and gave a faint tilt of her head. "Good afternoon, Mister Branwen. General Ironwood is waiting." His hand twitched as he went to reach for his flask, but he stopped short once he saw Winter's eyes train on it.

…Damn it, he was such a bleeding heart.

He just sighed as he headed into the office, slamming the door behind him. He leaned up against the wall, arms folded and one leg over the other. "All right, Jimmy; what's this about? You better have a damn good reason for calling me out here because I have better shit I could be doing." Namely getting plastered off his ass. He'd normally be drunk but with Winter…

"Yes, Qrow; I'll make it as short so you can…pursue your favorite activity." He just shook his head. "Since you want it straight I'll get to it. I'm going to be leaving for a few months and I need you to descort Winter to a few events. I"m going to gather intelligence via maneuvers with some of the Special Ops. Mister Gelé will be there and—"

"You want me to _ what _ ?!" He trained his gaze on Ironwood who stiffened, one hand going for his gun. "What in the _ hell _has gotten into that thick skull of yours?! I'm a walking disaster!" Seriously, what the hell?! He knew Ironwood was an idiot, but this was a whole new level of insanity even for him!

Ironwood just stood and ushered Qrow away from the door and he let out a heavy sigh before walking over toward the window. "Winter's probably buried in her work, but I still don't want to run the risk of her hearing. I'll just get straight to the point _ again _, Qrow. Women in the Atlassian upper class are basically just treated as property—collateral to be used in business and political transactions."

Qrow's blood turned to ice at the revelation and he stared, frozen to the spot. What in the actual fuck?! How could anybody treat another person like that?! And the Branwen tribe was accused of being ass backwards due to how primitive they were…

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, giving a small nod. "No wonder Summer hated this place so much…" With how empathetic she had been… Yeah, he couldn't blame her. "All right, Jimmy; I'll protect her. Not for you but for her." There was no way he'd ever do it for the blowhard; he had a stick way too far up his own ass for anybody's good.

Ironwood ran a hand through his hair before he sent Qrow a message. "There's the schedule of events. I'll trust her to your hands, Qrow."

Qrow just shrugged before he started back toward the door, waving a hand. "Whatever." He wasn't looking forward to this, but he wasn't about to leave a young woman at the hands of her abuser. After what Fallon had done to him and Raven, he wasn't about to leave Winter to suffer at a stuff event where some sort of harm might come to her.

…Damn it, he was such a bleeding heart.

Summer had been right.

As she almost always had been without fail.


	3. Chapter 3

Volume 7 gave me at least a little bit more to play with at least in terms of characters and interactions.

Also please forgive any small, odd typos. I hand wrote this then used software to translate it to text. I did my best to clean it up, but I didn't catch everything. This goes for any chapter from here on out.

* * *

Winter sighed as she sat her put her pen down, rapid footfalls echoing even on the carpet. She gripped her elbows behind her back, breaths quickening. How was she supposed tot deal with this? She was used to the general being away, but not like _ this _ . _ Months _ ? To do with what exactly? The nature of his job was quite classified, but he was the _ general _; what could possibly make him go out into the field like this?

And leaving her alone with a man she didn't even know... He wouldn't be staying with her but Coco but even so…

A tone chimed from a speaker above her TV and her head snapped up. making her sigh. "I'm quite all right, Coco." She eyed the camera and straightened her posture.

The TV flickered on and Coco's eyes peered out over the top other sunglasses, tutting as she shook her head. "C'mon, Wint; we both know you better than that." Winter just sighed.

Of course she couldn't hide anything from her. "Talk to me."

"...Okay."

She settled on the couch, knees pulled to her chest as her mind turned over and over. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? Even though they'd known each other for—

"C'mon, Wint."

Winter tensed, one hand clenched into a fist as she looked away. "You already know." How could she not? She'd heard the conversation between her and the-

"Talk to me."

Damn it, Coco… Why was her best friend so aggressive with this? Emotions weren't her strong suit…

She just wrapped her arms around her legs. visibly shaking. "I don't know anything about this Qrow Branwen...but I can tell he's stronger than me, and I've never been without James this long before." Her voice cracked and the tears finally started rolling down her cheeks. Why...Why did he have to leave like this...? She was hopeless without him... Just dear Holy Father he wasn't even gone yet and she was already falling apart... How was she supposed to make it through this...?

A sigh from Coco made her look up, though her best friend's attention had turned toward her computer. The keys clacked as her fingers flew across them, lips pursed. "I'd be there if I could, but I've got some pretty stringent teachers and they wouldn't let me out of their sight for that long... I think there's an investor's dinner in two weeks, so I'll be at a few events but that's all I can promise, Wint."

Winter just nodded and rested her forehead against her knees, eyes shut. "Thank you and could you do some looking in to this man?" Why would James leave her with somebody he didn't understand. let alone get along with? James was the only good man in all oft Atlas... Qrow might have been kind to her then, but the moment he got her where nobody could see...

"Honestly, already doing it...not that it's hard to find stuff on him. I've heard the name more than once. He's one of the most infamous Hunters in the world." She glanced up at Coco, throat tight. Infamous...? That... didn't bode well... and if Coco knew about him even with her limited life experience…

Holy Father, who _ was _ this man? Coco just sighed, pushing her sunglasses up. "I really hate to make things worse, but, yeah; it looks like he's one hell of a loose cannon. In the past year in Vacuo alone, he's taken on over a hundred missions that would be considered suicide. You know, the type that make even the _ Ace Ops _call on their inherent right to question bad orders."

She just dropped her head back onto her knees. Why...? Why was James putting her with a man like this...? Surely even _ Clover _ would have been better. Not that she trusted any Atlassian man but even so...she at least _ knew _him... She just…

She touched the wetness on her cheeks and sighed again. This..._ was _ the general they were talking about. There was _ no _way he would leave her with somebody that would harm her... Her safety was his prime concern. It had been since he'd seen her application.

"I'll keep digging and see if I can find anything else, Wint."

"Thanks, Coco."

The image clicked off and she stood up. A glance at the kitchen before she turned her head away with a shake. She had paperwork to get to that was due Friday. It could wait until tomorrow morning.

α

_ 213\. _ _  
_ _ 342\. _ _  
_410.

She sat up in bed, head cradled between her hands. This was stupid. _ She _was stupid. The general would have nothing but her best interests and safety at heart.

And he wouldn't be leaving for a few more days.

She should have been sleeping like a baby but no.

She flicked the lights on before running through her morning routine. A last check in the mirror promised not a single hair out of place and she nodded. Even one could tip off that damn Clover that something was up. Damn that good luck Semblance of his…

But she let out a breath then gathered her things, knocking on the general's door. The lock clicked a moment later. He just stared for a long moment before moving aside. She just wrapped her arms around him the best she could, holding back tears. Stupid, clingy, petulant, spoiled child…

"I'm sorry for interrupting your mining routine, Sir, but-"

"No 'sirs' right now, Winter. You know that." He pulled back and smiled at her. She returned it and nodded softly.

"Of course; I'm sorry." It was way too easy to fall into habits while in uniform even in his quarters. Stupid little girl, forgetting something so obvious…

James just shook his head. "No apologies needed, Winter. I haven't started on breakfast yet. Are you hungry?" Her gaze and head just drifted down a little and he sighed. "…Right. Would you at least like to join me for your favorite tea?"

"Yes, s—I mean, yes, thank you." She pushed her bangs out of her eyes. She...hadn't entirely thought this one through. What exactly was she _ supposed _ to say? She was no stranger to disagreeing with him. but even so... To doubt him on this level... What an _ awful _slap in the face to the kindness he'd shown her... He'd protected her basically since day one…

The sound of the mug on the table broke her thoughts, making her look up. He simply offered her a smile and she returned it the best she could. "So what's on your mind?"

The warmth of the tea pulled her attention to his face a no she sighed. "Si—I'm sorry if this is an insult to your intentions, but are you _ sure _this is the best fit for me...? He's a stranger, a drunk, and a foreigner. Not to say I have anything against non-Atlassians, but does he understand the etiquette of these events? Wouldn't Clover be a better choice..or even Marrow...?" She did shiver a little at the idea. Military or not, that Semblance of his…

James sighed but nodded. "Unfortunately, I do think this is what's best. Clover's as good as an Atlassian man can probably get, but the fact of the matter is that he isn't one to stand up for women. He holds nothing against them—I mean, he works with Elm and Harriet without issue and then there was Miss Hill back in Atlas Academy—but he's just not one to stand up against any of the creeps that might try to get their hands on you. I wouldn't mind sending Marrow, but between that reputation he's purposely built of looking like an idiot and your reaction to his Semblance..." He shook his head while another shiver went down her spine. Marrow was a decent person, but an Atlassian man with a Semblance that could force somebody immobile…

Her grip on her mug just tightened as she shook a little.

She just leaned into the warmth of his hand in her head.

"While I'll never understand Qrow, there are some things I know about him to be true. He is almost supernaturally perceptive of others and can read damn near anybody." She nodded. Yeah, he had read her like an open book the night of the dance... It'd been...unnerving but welcome. He'd actually treated her like a person and not just breeding stock…

"The other one I know for certain is that he vehemently objects to everything Atlas stands for. Him being a foreigner actually works in his favor." James just sighed as he poured another Cup of coffee. Was he as stressed about this as she was...? He was no Ozpin, so to see him go for a third cup…

"So he'll get me out of any sort of situations where somebody might try to hurt me...?" She just... She _ needed _to hear it. Being left alone at one of these events with so many men that would try to 'tame' her…

She wiped away a tear.

James nodded and she leaned into his touch again. "I can't be for certain, but with as much as he's ranted about it to me, my educated guess would be yes." He just sighed before taking a sip from his mug. "I am sorry I'm leaving you with a stranger, Winter, but he seems to be the best choice." She just reached up and put a hand on his arm, a faint smile on her lips.

"I won't pretend I'm not terrified, but this did help a little..." Aside from him. she would probably always be terrified of men. They were just _ far _ too dangerous for her to be around alone aside from maybe Clover.. but even _ that _was debatable for her.

He did reach into his rocket and palled on this scroll. "Here's Qrow's number. I'll pass yours onto him via message later." That just made her smile a bit.

"Thank you and that's fine."

"Will you be visiting me once we get done for the day?"

"After I talk to Coco…" There was a job she needed to do…

Ω

_ "This really is something else, moonflower." He smiled as he looked around at the picnic. It really was something else... And to think she'd managed to hide it under his nose the whole time. _

_ She just chuckled. "Well it _ ** _is _ ** _ your birthday." She tucked some hair behind her ears. "I figured you could use a good day off after all of the missions you've been running." He just smiled at her. She was way too thoughtful in every way. Sweet, warm. Fanny, passionate, gentle, kind... _

_ How could anyone ask for a more perfect woman? _

_ "Thanks. Think you could pass the brownies?" _

_ Summer chuckled softly. "You are such a child, Qrow. But of course I can after you check your scroll, you idiot." _

He blinked. "What—?"

"Wake up and check your scroll; somebody's trying to hack into it!"

He jerked awake and grabbed his scroll. The chibi version of Summer glared up at him, pushing the lock screen aside. "It's about time you woke up, you fucking idiot! I've been trying to alert in for the past five minutes! Someone's managed to breech the top layers of your security. I've held them off, but you need to do something!"

It didn't take anything beyond that to go on the defensive, locking files, folders, and trying to trace the s-ane. A loading circle floated above chibi Summer's head and he swam under his breath. Damn it, she was cutting back her processing so he could work. "Here, take whatever power you need. Trace the source. Find out who's doing this.'' It wasn't the smartest strategy. but it might spook the person enough to stop.

She nodded as he sat back and watched her work. Only a few minutes passed until she stopped and opened a window. A young girl sat there, staring up over the top of her sunglasses with wide eyes.

His brows furrowed. "Why's the hell a kid trying to hack my scroll?" Kids did stupid, reckless shit, but this seemed a special brand of it.

"Uh... bye." The window closed for a second but returned after Summer brought it back up. The kid past stared at him, visibly shaking a bit.

That had been a Vacuan accent even in Atlassian, so he flipped over to Standard Vacuan before speaking again. "Okay, how about this: if you have a good reason for this, I won't turn your information into the Vacuan authorities." His tone and expression flattened. She hadn't managed to access more than texts and some of Summer's Videos which was a relief, but even…

The girl nodded before sighing. "...Winter asked me to. Sorry.'

His eyebrows shot up. "Winter...? But why...?" It wasn't like they'd be seeing each other a lot. She had no reason to go to these lengths. Hiring a hacker to do her bidding... What was going through that girl's head...?

"She's an Atlassian upper-class woman being left at events where she' basically isolated with a strange foreigner she's spoken to _ once _ ." The girl just gave him a _ strong _stare over the top of her sunglasses and he sighed. Yeah... That was definitely a pretty damn good reason. And asking him directly about things was well out of the question with her fear.

"I don't entirely blame her, but why in the hell did she hire a hacker?"

The kid shook her head before pushing her sunglasses up. "Nah, she's my best friend, has been for a few years." She shrugged.

"...I see. Well, I'll cut you a deal then, how about? I'll give you some files that will hopefully put her at ease. Sound like a plan?" The girl gave a thumbs up.

It didn't take him long to locate the tiles with Summer's help and he sent the zipped folder over to the girl. She grinned and gave another thumbs up. "I'll pass 'em along to her. By the way... what security program is that? It's pretty damn powerful."

Qrow just snorted. "Like I'm gonna tell a _ hacker _about my security."

"...Fair point. Anyway, talk to you later, old man." She gave a small, two-fingered salute before the window closed.

He sighed as he resettled against the bed, rubbing his forehead. Summer settled in a little char in the corner of the screen, looking up at him."You're an idiot for taking that at face value... even if it was exactly what it appeared to be." She shook

"Yeah, I know, but I've learned to trust my gut by this point. Who was the kid anyway?"

The AI brought up a small window and he nodded. "I see. Well, checks out then." Coco Adel, old money with the SDC. Made sense she'd know Winter. Why a kid like that would turn to hacking was beyond him. but whatever.

"I'm going back to sleep." He put his scroll back on the nightstand and rolled over. This would probably end up being like the nightmare he'd just woken up from…

α

She sighed as she clicked the TV off, looking at Coco through the webcam. "..So what's your thoughts...?"

"I'd say they're legit. Wint. Why would somebody go through the trouble of faking that many videos then sharing them with me? Plus they're from a cross more than twenty years..." Winter just looked down. It wasn't too hand to agree with her best friend's thoughts, but it was next to impossible to accept.

Everything in those videos conflicted with what the general had said and it was too good to be true. A man that _ actually _ respected and _ listened to _ women? Not only that, but he was kind and gentle? Yes, the general was that way with her, but he was the exception, not the rule.

She wanted this to all be a farce but these were clearly somebody's _ private _family videos... And everything with personalities and appearance remained fairly consistent aside from the aging... Aside from Qrow's hair being completely black... Had he really been under that much stress in just a few short years to start going prematurely grey?

She just sighed and dropped her head onto her knees. There was no winning here period... All she could do was get to know the man. He made zero sense and she would never understand other people or her own emotions very well.

Plus, why bother when anybody else would just betray or use hens?

"Wint?"

"I'm going to go stay with James for the next few nights."

"All right. Well, just let me know if you need anything. And please eat something." Coco looked over the top of her sunglasses before exiting out the screen.

Winter just sighed again. This was going to be awful... At least she only had to deal with Qrow at dances…

* * *

If anyone's wondering why Vine wasn't brought up…I kind of forgot about him. He has like five lines of dialogue in V7 proper… He's just so easy to forget.


	4. Chapter 4

Winter looked down at her silverware and sighed before putting them down. "Winter...?"

He blurred in her vision as she tried to wipe the tears away. "I'm sorry, sir… I just…. I didn't want to turn this into a sobbing pity party…" Holy Father, she was better than this. She was Maior Schnee, a proud Special Operative, not some weeping fragile flower…but it was so hard… He was going away… She shouldn't be acting like this. Stupid petulant, clingy child.

He just leaned across the table and offered a faint smile. "It's only a few months, Winter. It'll be okay." His soft tone soothed her a bit and she nodded.

"Right… Yes, it'd be okay. She still had to attend these damnable events, but it wouldn't be so bad. He'd made the best choice for her. He would never purposely leave her in harm's way. It'd all be okay…

"Thank you for dinner, Winter; I wish I could stay longer, but I need to make final preparations before leaving tomorrow." she nodded and followed him to the door, hugging him tightly. "I'll see you in a few months. And I'll have something sent in your birthday."

The faint smile flashed again and she returned it as best she could.

"Thank you, sir; I'll see you when you return." She inclined her head t-wand the soft kiss and then the door closed. Her tiny smile faded in to nothingness as the cold silence of her apartment wrapped around her.

He was gone.

He was really gone.

And so soon before the Vytal Festival to... Assistant Headmaster Kneller would certainly have his hands full…

With a sigh. she turned on her heel. Why bother crying over spilled milk? She was Winter Schnee, not some weepy, vapid doll. She had work yet to do for the night. Missing him already was no excuse to slack off. Three and a half weeks ahead was far too behind for her liking...

Ω

"Qrow, you missed a call." Summer's voice cut through the black and he blinked. groaning a bit. Didn't the damn AI I know when to shut up? Atlas was…

"It's from Winter, you idiot; she left a voice mail and... it isn't good."

"All right, all right; play it." he grunted. Damn it, he wasn't a baby sitter... Why was this his problem…? She was an adult..

_ Click. _

_ A pause. _

_ Mister Branwen... I... There's a matter I need to discuss with you… When you get a chance to sober us, could you come to my apartment…? I apologise for being cryptic but… this…is best discussed face to face... _

_ Another long pause. _

_ Click. _

Qrow raised an eyebrow at the message. The girl had definitely been on edge when they'd first met, but this was definitely something else. What had gotten her so rattled? She was clearly upset and if it had anything to do with the event schedule…

He let out a heavy sigh and rolled out of bed "Send a text that I'll be there in ninety or less."

What a pain in the ass.

Ω

Qrow ran his hand through his hair as he hit the buzzer outside of the building. A long moment passed before the click came, followed by a timid, "Hello?" It barely carried over the intercom and he sighed. Just how long had she been wound up like this...?

But he softened. "Hey Winter; I'm here now." Soft, warm, and gentle. No need to freak her out more. Just like the first time they'd met. And she'd be fully alone, too, unless that hacker of hers was listening in. Seriously, what was even the point?

No response came aside from the clicking of the door mechanism. This… Seriously, what had her so spooked?

But he wasted no time in making his way up to the apartment and knocked. His brows furrowed. Two,.. Three... Four... How many locks did she have? By the kamuy…

Finally, the door cracked and one blue eye shone through before opening. He just smiled softly and held up his hands. "It's okay, Winter; just me." He still had a few daggers, of course, but he wasn't about to disclose that to the terrified seventeen-year-old.

She gave a small nod and his heart dropped as he looked around.

Barren was the only word to use. A few vases with some fake flowers sat in a couple of corners with a few picture frames... but that was it. And, even then, the pictures appeared to be newspaper clippings.

He glanced at Winter and shifted his weight a bit. Her own weight remained forward, eyes glued to his hands. He just held them as with an awkward smile. "Lead the way and tell me what to do.'' There was no point in freaking her out more. He could feel her aura turning over and tripping and roiling from being alone with him. She was trapped if he decided he wanted to do something to her.

Damn it.

He'd invaded her space but there wasn't much he could do about it…putting her at ease was going to be impossible…

Talk about fighting a losing battle.

He just followed her over to the small living area, taking a seat on the couch while she sat in a chair. Her hands shook as she took an envelope out of her pocket and offered it to him.

His brows furrowed at the broken SDC wax seal on the back. What the hell was Gelé trying to slay at here? She was disinherited. Why would he do this...?

His heart clenched in his chest.

_ You are cordially invited to the annual eight-night investor's event as a special guest. Please arrive at least an hour early. Make sure to RSVP if you have an escort. _

He glanced up at her and she simply trembled. "What the hell is he playing at…?" This was Gelé. It wasn't just some lovely event…

Winter just sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees."…He's declaring 'open season' on me, so to speak. With General Ironwood gone and my birthday coming up…it's the perfect chance to get me out of the way…" Her voice cracked, aura swirling in tandem. Protect...? Soul-crushing fear? Despair? Guilt?

Just what the hell had conspired behind Schnee manor's closed doors?

None of this boded well at all. He took in a breath before letting it out and nodding. "Well, I'm your escort, but there's some other things to consider." Her head snaked up, vivid blue eyes wide. He held up his hand. Yeah, her being afraid was understandable now, but it was clouding her ability to think. Granted, strategy wasn't exactly his thing, but…

"Knowing Gelé and his type… This ain't gonna be isolated to parties. If it's open season…" Winter's aura churned as her eyes widened further. Her hand covered her mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"…I won't be safe anywhere… Not even work… or _ here _…" Her voice was tiny and her shaking only increased. He winced a little. This was awful, but at least they were a step ahead right now.

But with his Semblance; something would do wrong.

It always _ did _.

He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, unfortunately. And I'm only one person. I might have high security clearance but that doesn't mean I'll have the ability to just loiter around your office."

Winter got up and started pacing, her aura turning our and over. Did she always do this when stressed...? The carpet was slightly discolored in a ring.

The silence lapsed into minutes until she sighed heavily. head dropping. "I suppose I'll have to call in a favor from the Ace Ops.:" Oh hell, _ those _sellouts? As if the Special Operatives weren't bad enough, now Ironwood's lapdogs..? Fucking hell, his Semblance really was fucking everything up.

But it was probably the only option they had.

Winter pulled her scroll out with trembling hands before dialling a number. She took a deep breath and he could see her steel herself. "Good evening, Warrant Office Ebi; it's Major Schnee. Please forgive the sudden interruption."

A pause and her grip. n her scroll tightened. 'I... There's a matter I need to speak with you—all of you—as soon as possible."

Another pause and she went rigid. "I-I would rather my quarters if possible. Mister Branwen will be here as well." A short pause. "Yes, Wednesday evening at six sounds fine. Thank you; have a good rest of your night." She hung up and slumped in her chair, eyes shut. Damn, this was hard to watch; she was falling apart at the seams…but there wasn't much he could do about it. Seriously, this fucking sucked…

"…Hey, could I ask you something?" Winter's head snapped up, eyes wide but he held his palms to her. Damn, she was on edge, but he couldn't blame her.

"I was just wondering about that hack- "

"Yo."

Qrow's head snapped over to the TV where the kid from before sat. She pushed her glasses up and grinned. "Coco's' the name, and hacking is my game." Winter just sighed. "But yeah, Wint asked me to check in on you, but your security was way too strong."

A soft giggle came from his pocket. b. th girls staring at him. He iast pulled at his scroll, sighing as the AI I made herself at home in it. "You were sneaky, but there's no getting past me." The avatar covered its mouth and giggled. Damn it, Summer.

Coco pushed her glasses upon her forehead. "Holy shit. An adaptive AI…? This is insane."

The AI I put its hand on its hip, body language sassy. Typical Summer... "Yeah, well, you won't get through me again. Nobody can since earn so quickly."

"Summer, do you mind…?" he sighed. Seriously, she always poked her nose in where she wasn't needed. Even in death, she was impossible…

It just blew a kiss before vanishing. He shook his head before looking at Winter. " "Anyway, Wednesday at six?"

She gave a small nod. "If you could be here earlier, I would appreciate it...'' He just cocked an eyebrow. What would scare her so badly she wanted him there?

He sighed but nodded. "All right, ki— Winter. I'll be here. Was that it?"

The girl needed and lowered her head, expression hidden behind her hair. "Yes, thank you, Mister Branwen. I apologise for this."

"No prob. I'm here to help while…James is gone. Will you be all right tonight and tomorrow?"

"Yes, I should be."

"All right. See ya Wednesday then..." He stood us and left the apartment. heading back to the hotel.

He Hoped on the bed and sighed. Atlas was fucked up but to this level...? How could anybody treat their daughter like this...? Then again, he knew better…

He rolled over and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day...


	5. Chapter 5

All right, so this is where shit starts hitting the fan. We're going full throttle into Atlas' culture, no holds barred. That means, from this point forward, themes and acts of sexism, misogyny, abuse, and so much more are going to happen. The things talked about the last few chapters are going to happen.

PLEASE take this is as your warning. I am throwing up a trigger warning for basically ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING after this point. Qrow's not gonna do anything to Winter (obviously), but anybody else? Yeah, the gloves are off. They don't care about how she feels or her autonomy.

There will be no more warnings after this. You've taken responsibility for proceeding. Any comments being upset about how things are written will be either ignored or deleted. You've had four chapters of _in character_ trigger warnings and now several more paragraphs. You've had enough time to take heed of the content of this story.

* * *

Winter's eyebrow raised faintly at the knock on her door. Who would be bothering her at lunch? "Who is it?"

"Warrant Officer Harriet Bree. Permission to enter, Major Schnee?" What? Why? Sure, she vaguely knew the woman but why? They'd be meeting tomorrow evening. Was it really so important that it couldn't wait? She still had a lot of work to catch up on…

"…I suppose as long as it doesn't take too much time. I'm still behind on my work." Four weeks still wasn't enough. But she shoved the thought to the side as she rose and unlocked the door, looking down at the shorter woman.

After settling at her desk. she blinked at the lunch box shoved in her face. "Wha-?"

Harriet just grinned. "Everyone knows you work through lunch; I figured you could use a bit of a break." Winter just scowled. How preposterous: she didn't need a break. Sh- got the right amount of calories between breakfast and dinner; she made sure of it.

"While I appreciate the thought. Warrant Officer Bree. I'm still two weeks beh- "

"Look, can you just eat?" The woman's sharp tone made her tense a little and she sighed. Apparently she was going to be stubborn..

Winter sat her pen down and sighed, starting to eat. "I really see no point in this."

"You've been on edge even for _ you _ since General Ironwood left, and now something's come up that's obviously spooked you. Wanting to meet with _ all _ of us _ and _Branwen tomorrow? I know Atlas doesn't exactly do' feelings' very well and you don't really do the 'friend' thing, but... I wanted to let you know I'm here for you." Harriet's expression softened with her tone and she shifted forward.

Winter just froze mid-bite. What? Worried? About her? She forced out a breath before shaking her head. "While the sentiment is received, it is unneeded.'' She'd gone through Schnee Manor's horrors by herself; she could get through this too. Gelé wouldn't win. She couldn't give into weakness. If she did, Weiss would forever remain under that madman's hand. 5he couldn't let that happen, not now when she'd reached the most critical juncture…

"…Right.'' Winter ignored Harriet's flat tone and fell silent. Holy Father, this was demeaning... Yes, she had Coco but that was different... Coco would help her break Weiss out... She didn't need anybody in the military; she had the general. Who more could she ever require for support...?

α

Winter let out a breath as she sat her keys down and tugged her shoes off.

It was already nine?

A frown formed on her lips.

No wonder she was starving.

An exasperated sigh came from her scroll, but she tried to ignore it.

"Don't ignore me, Wint. I know you like to work late, but this is overkill even for you."

"I'm starting on dinner now, Coco, so you don't need to nag me. Plus, Warrant Officer Bree brought me lunch today."

"That was eight hours ago!" Winter huffed and fell silent as she pulled the ingredients out of the cupboard. Seriously, it was no big deal. As long as she ate, that was what mattered. She'd already gone over her needed calories by quite a bit, though it hadn't been the worst thing in the world. The hour and a half of practice had been unexpected, but some teachers had needed her help…

The door handle started to rattle a little while later. A faint eyebrow raise led her to put the knife down. Just who the hell would be—

Her heart jumped into her throat at the slam against the door. What was going on? Who was trying to get in?!

A glance at her TV revealed the feed from a nearby security camera. Where had she—

_ No _.

Those parties.

Before she'd left—

Her breaths shortened but she raised a hand, sealing the door with a Glyph.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

Nonononononono.

She tucked herself behind the entertainment stand, peeking out from behind it. "C-Coco… Q-Q- "

"Already on it. Don't worry."

One night.

It was only one night she'd been left alone since receiving the invitation.

She might not even make it to the first event if he got in.

Ω

Qrow stared listlessly at the ceiling. Atlas was the worst.

And now he had to stay sober for Winter's sake. He was the only sort of supports he had. Relegated to babysitter. What a pain in the—

"Qrow, incoming signal from Loco. Should I let her through?" He blinked and sat up, looking at his scroll. The hacker kid? Why would Winter not—

His blood turned to ice.

"_ Qrow _!" Coco's voice rang out loud and clear in the room, breaths carrying through even the mic. He felt the blood drain from his face, insides more desolate than the Sol. tas tundra.

"You have to get to Winter's! A guy's trying to get into her apartment! How fast can you get there?!"

Damn it!

One night and _ this _?! He shouldn't have left her! He should've—

No, how wasn't the time for self-blame. "Gimme ten. Think you can get her to open a window?"

"I... can try but— "The audio freed cat and he saw her speak urgently. His heart pounded as the seconds ticked by.

Dammit dammit dammit.

How long would this take?! Coco looked at him after what felt like an eternity…then came the nod.

He clicked his scroll off before grabbing Harbinger and opening the window in a flurry of black feathers.

Ω

Even through the thick apartment walls. he could feel her pulsing aura. No higher thought; it was just fear for safety.

Without waiting for another moment, he drove his beak clear through the screen, rolling to his feet right in front other. Her glassy blue eyes stared not at him, but far beyond.

Damn it, she was so far gone…

But he had to use the compliance, wretched as it was.

"Winter, drop your Glyph. I'll take care of this." She just stared for a long moment before nodding, hand dropping listlessly. Her breaths remained short and shallow, but she simply did nothing more.

The pounding on the door started again and he wrenched the locks open, catching the asshole before slamming into the opposite wall with him tight in his grasp. "Look here, asshat, I'll say this once and only once, so listen good. If you _ ever _attempt this sort of shit again, then nobody will find your body. I will castrate you first and then let you slowly bleed out. Is that clear?" he growled.

"She's _ mine _and I'll do whatever I want to her," came the indignant response.

Qrow's grip just tightened and the boy grunted. "'How about we put it this way: I'm Qrow Branwen and, if you try this again, I will _ never _take another mission for your family. And, despite my disgust with the SDC, I still do Gelé's work. So think about your actions before we meet again. Got it?"

He felt the whelp exhale... before spit hit his face. He flinched before releasing.

The boy just straightened his jacket and dusted it off, glaring at Qrow. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer for this, Branwen!" with that. he stormed off and Qrow rolled his eyes. Because _ any _lawyer would be willing to try to sue the world's most infamous Hunter…

He headed back in and locked the door, glancing at winter, then th-feed with Coco. "…So how should I handle this? I don't want to make this wise." By the ancestors, this was terrible... A middle-aged man (or close enough) with a girl only almost a year over the age of majority… What a fucking mess... And if wouldn't take long for this to get out..

Now wasn't the time to think about this.

All he could see was Coco staring helplessly at her monitor. "I really don't know... I've never seen her like this before... Even while she was in the manor, this never happened."

This was a pain in the ass but he didn't have much choice. Thank the kamuy that he'd I handled so many shutdown people before.

"You'll vouch for me I didn't hurt her, right?" Leaving her would be unforgivable, but it'd still be better than her worrying she'd been raped after this.

Coco iast grinned, giving finger guns. "I'll just tell my teachers Wint's being stubborn again." How were these two friends? Such polar opposites yet this close... He and Raven had been like that. but they at least had the excuse of being twins…

People just made no sense..

Pushing those thoughts to the side, he went to the chair and knelt beside it, holding up his hands. "Hey, Winter, it's Qrow; can you hear me?" Definitely wasn't flashbacks with the energy flows... He'd become far too familiar with those through the years…

Silence.

Not so much as glance upward.

Fantastic. Just freaking fantastic. He closed his eyes before starting to recite poetry.

Moving her was way too much of a gamble. He couldn't afford to trigger her further. Even though Coco would vouch for him, it just felt like a bad idea. She was already terrified of men and being raped, so how much would it be if she came out of this and had moved. That position wasn't comfortable, but moving her without consent

No.

Absolutely no fucking way.

α

The sound of a distant voice cut through the. bleary world and she blinked.

Black first caught her attention beyond the entertainment stand. She tensed, gripping the wood. What... What was going—

…Qrow? What...?

Oh, right…

She'd asked Coco to call him here... He had come after all... She…hadn't moved... Nothing had happened to her, thank the Holy Father...

She gripped the entertainment stand tighter. but blinked when her legs refused to m. ve. What…?

"Hey Winter, you with us now?" She glanced at Qrow, giving a tiny nod. She willed herself to speak, to move but…she could only grip her hands and move her head. Damn it… It was like Schnee manor all over again… Just like when Gelé talked to her about—

"Snowy."

Her gaze fixed on Qrow, entire body shaking. When would this end? This abhorrent submission... She just…

Tears misted over her eyes but she couldn't even wipe them away.

"I'm gonna guess you aren't too keen on physical contact especially by a man, but can I get you over to the couch? It's been two and a half hours." she felt the blood ran from her cheeks and her head began to spin. Be touched…by a man that wasn't the general...? No... She couldn't but…her legs did hurt now that she thought about it...

The reluctant nod came. Now would be it. He hadn't hurt her before... She hadn't been responsive... Now that she was…

But he didn't move.

"Can I approach you?" What? What... Was this? Asking…about her comfort and opinion? This had to be some sort of trick, right? No man would ever…

There wasn't much choice though…

She gave another reluctant nod and he got on his knees from his own crouching position. He returned to the poetry until just a few feet from her and held up his hands. Her shaking increased and she just stared at him. What now? How long until he finally went for it?

But he just extended one hand, a soft smile on his lips. "Can you reach out yourself to take my hand?" What game was he playing? What was this? There had to be some sort of ulterior motive... He'd grab her then take her dow—

"Hey Wint, I know you're freaking out over there, but I can promise you he ain't gonna do anything. You were completely shut down for two hours and all he did was sit there and recite poetry to you. If he wanted to do anything, he would've by now." She managed to look at the TV and caught Coco's eye. Seriously"? He hadn't...?

She placed her trembling hand in his before closing her eyes. It was…warm. So unlike the Atlaassian men whom she'd danced with over the years and the one that had sired her. Even the general's good hand wasn't this warm…

"There you go. Now how about I close the rest of the way and wrap an arm around your shoulders?" How... How could he be so worried about her? Why was he going so out of his way to do this? It made no logical sense... People were so inherently evil...

The first contact made her breath catch in her chest, a small sound escaping her throat. Damn it. she was better than th—

"I know you're afraid. but you can't walk; I'll have to carry you over to the couch. Can I do a bridal curry?" A bridal...?

She inhaled sharply, eyes wide.

But he gently squeezed her shoulders, rubbing one of them. She shivered and shuddered. Holy Father, this was dangerous. "I know you're afraid, but it's the only way I can get you over there. I won't hurt you." He was right; it was the only way. After a long breath, she nodded and steeled herself. Her... muscles definitely hurt more now as she focused on them…

"I'm gonna shift your weight back against my arm then slide my other one under your knees, okay?" His tone... soft and gentle... It was so alien coming from anybody but the general... How could anybody be so kind? It had to be some sort of trick, right? Nobody could care about others without ulterior motives.

A breath banished the thoughts and she nodded. The sooner the better. Her trembling only increased while he controlled her body, but she clung to his shirt after she nested in his arms, earning a chuckle from him. "It's okay, snowy: it's just a few feet to the couch."

He situated her on her side and she closed her eyes, nestling into the blanket he laid over her. It'd been a long night... Far, far too long... And she still had to work in the morning…

Slumber tugged at her and swept over her like an owl's wing.


	6. Chapter 6

So this chapter (and many going forward) involves falconry and I'm somebody who's still learning about things. If there are any fundamental errors, I apologise. I've been watching videos by falconers (mainly The Falcon Lady on YouTube) as well as reading a book, but I know that is far from ideal in terms of learning. However, my aim is mainly to portray it to a believable level while also taking creative liberties due to the nature of some animals on Remnant. If anybody more knowledgeable is somehow reading this fic, I am open to conversation and critique.

The dog mentioned is a Hokkaido Inu. There are about half a dozen names for them, but they're a sort of inu and have that body type, so you can just kind of picture a very large Shiba. However, they're referred to as 'Seta' here which is just the Ainu word for 'dog' (and also one of the many breed names)

* * *

Qrow palled his hand back from Winter's head before putting Harbinger to the side and flopped down in the armchair. Dear ancestors, what a mess this had turned into. He'd never doubted it would be one, but this was ridiculous.

One night.

One.

Fucking.

Night.

She should've been fine for one gods-damned night.

But some sick asshole had thought it was his right to 'claim' her. How could people be so damn evil…? Everyone was selfish to varying degrees, but this was just pure evil…

A small cough made him look over at the screen and Coco shifted a bit before settling her sunglasses on top of her head. "Did you... put her to sleep with your Semblance? She's never one to fall asleep after something this stressful."

Oh.

Oops.

He just chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head. "Nah, my Semblance is bad luck; that was just some advanced aura."

"Some what?" He chuckled again. This was always a pain in theists to explain.

"I'll spare you the lengthy exposition dump, but it's the esoteric side of aura at its base. You can do a hell of a lot more with your aura than you think. But it requires time, dedication, self-discipline, and a hell of a lot. of each. It's not just something you do; it's something you live." Not that he was great at it... But he still maintained a decent Grade Nine…

He blinked when his scroll pinged and Summer held as the icon for his messenger am. "Hey Qrow, I think asking a favor from Raven might not be a bad idea."

A favor from her? Wh—

He massaged the bridge if his nose and sighed. Actually, that was a fantastic idea. Not that he wanted to owe her so hugely, but extra security was a good idea... "I'll bite. Which route do you think they took this year and would they be out of CCTS range?" Dragging a stranger into Winter's apartment was the last thing he wanted to do, but it was all he could do right now. Waiting three or four days for one of his falconry buddies to deliver a bird he couldn't understand just wasn't an option…

"Based on route rotation, weather patterns, and documents of villages being destroyed, my best guess is East Track 10, Deviance 4-AC. According to my calculations, you have a week and a half until they're out of COTS range. Signal has waned due to a sudden onset of bad weather. Experts predict a harsh, early winter this year."

He couldn't stop the flinch at the forecast. An early, harsh winter? The salmon spawn would be hard especially if thick ice covered the rivers. They'd be forced to desperate tactics to—

No, no.

That would never be his worry again. "Thanks, moonflower." He smiled at Summer, earning a snicker frm Coco. His cheeks heated but he ignored her while the dial tone started.

Damn it, Raven; pickup... She had to have been waking up right about—

"_ Qrow, the hell...? _" Raven's exhausted Chiri-itak let his shoulders relax as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"_ Sorry to bother you at hell-in-the-morning, but I need a huge favor from you, no questions asked. On a strict time limit that I'm not sure how long will last _." He glanced at Winter. biting his lip. She had no pr-tection from nightmares so a few hours asleep would be lucky. but with him there…

"_ Qrow, you— _"

"_ Look, I'll owe you double if you just do it. _" Damn self-righteous woman.

"_ I'm listening. _"

_ "I need to borrow one of Unu's birds if possible. And a dog too _."

"_ Qrow, are you nuts?! You want to introduce tribal— _ "

"_ Keep going and that offer disappears. _"

Raven just gave a heavy sigh. _ "Fine. Give me about ten to fifteen. I can talk to Unu and grab your old boy and go wake up Huchi Egla for a spare glove. _ " She paused for a moment. " _ You owe me a good Valian-style meal for that one. _"

Qrow just winced again. "_ Yeah, that's fair. I can only imagine how much ornery she's gotten in her old age. _"

Traven just made a noise that told him she shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Y_ ou have no idea. Anyway, hand measurements about the same? _"

"_ Has Unu never not cared about somebody? _" They both laughed for a moment before Raven spoke again.

"_ Anyway, give me maybe an extra five to ten to deal with that stubborn old eagle _." He call clicked off and he sighed as he slumped in his chair. Owing Raven like this was going to be a pain in the ass. She was insufferable enough as it was... This was just the icing on the cake.

Cake... She'd probably enjoy that whenever he got around to cooking that meal from her…

"Qrow, what are you thinking about?" Coco's voice made him look up and he sighed before dropping his head in his hands. Damn it, this was awful but…

"I think I need to move in with her. I know making this decision for her like this is abhorrent, but what other choice _ is _there? The Ace Ops can't always keep watch over her, you're in Vacuo, and tonight proved she can't be left alone even here. Hell, that's what the talk with those sellouts is going to be about's you know that." Even Winter herself that she wouldn't be safe in—

He glanced at the door before sighing. Suddenly the amalgam of locks made far too much sense.

Damn it.

He shook the thoughts away before looking back at Coco who massaged the bridge of her nose. "Unfortunately, you're probably right. The Ace Ops' schedules are unpredictable, so they won't be reliable or consistent. But what can your sister do to help? Isn't she in the middle if bumfuck nowhere central Mistral?"

He just snorted. That was a pretty apt description. "You'll see when I get back. Her Semblance lets her cross distances to people she has a bond with. Think you can watch Winter for the five to ten minutes I'm in the hall?" This was such a pain in the ass. He really didn't want to deal with all of this but there really was no other choice. If anybody laid a hand on Winter…

He shoved the thoughts away, looking at his scroll. Hurry the fuck up, Raven... Each minute that passed brought another that might have Winter wake... He really should've waited for her consent, but there was no choice here…

Fuck.

How often had Gelé used the excuse it was for her own good to justify treating Winter horribly...? Even if it was objectively true here. Making such a huge decision for her…

Ancestors, he was the worst of the worst. And the worst choice for this too... But there was nobody else.

And just how often and how badly would his sheer presence trigger her?

There was absolutely no winning no matter what they did..

Eventually, though. his scroll vibrated and he looked back at Coco! 'I'll be back in a bit." with that, he stepped into the hall and replied to his sister.

Within just a few moments, Raven stepped through a portal with a falcon perched on either hand and a beautiful silver Seta. She wrinkled her n-se and flattened her ears.

"_ What are all of these acrid scents? It's horrible _." The dog let out a hacking noise and Qrow just chuckled as he hid his hand out for her to sniff.

"_ Yeah, the world outside the tribe is full of huge differences and you'll just have to deal with them until you go back in a few months. _" The dog's ears and tail drooped a bit but she nodded.

"_ If Dove's son needs helo, then I'll offer it. I'm not much of a hunter unfortunately... _"

"_ That ain't my worry, but I'll explain everything to all three of you in a bit after I get the birds calmed down. What's your name, by the way? _"

"_ Iroki. The birds are Mono and Kiyay. _" Qow just chuckled.

"_ Mother always did have an affinity with light-based names. _ " He looked back at his sister before stretching. " _ So what should I expect from these two when unhooding them? _"

"_ I'd say start with Mono because she doesn't have a huge track record of bating off the glove. Granted, all bets are kind of off with all of those unfamiliar things. _"

Mono chittered for a moment before speaking. "_ In general, if you explain something to me, I should be fine. _"

"_ You're not gonna be used to this; I can assure you that. _" Qrow just rolled his eyes.

She was really underestimating what she could handle. Aura breed or not, she was still a falcon and, thus, liable to bate for _ some _reason.

The gyrfalcon just chittered and shik her feathers indignantly before Raven spoke again. "_ Kiyay's a bit more flighty, but if Mono's calm, he'll be much less frightened. Anyway, mind getting in the bag for your glove? My hands are kinda full. _" She chuckled before bumping her hip out a bit and Qrow obliged. With some quick work, Mono hat transferred to his hand and ruffled her feathers again.

He'd need to put Kiyay somewhere while Manning Mono. "_ Mind following me in for a few, Rae? _" Bringing her in wasn't a great idea but tying a falcon somewhere with another bird on his hand? Not happening.

He held his finger to his lips before heading into the apartment. Raven's aura flickered with shock as she saw Winter, but she remained silent.

A quick glance around the room revealed a desk laden with paper and books and Raven tied Kiyay there. She just placed the falconry bag on the ground before hopping through a portal with a flash of a smile. Had... they just not killed each other in an interaction...? And even joked around like old times? Maybe the old Raven was still in there somewhere…

But that wasn't important right now.

He sighed and removed Mono's hood, just watching her look around. She gripped the glove tightly as she let out soft chitters, feathers close to her body... but she didn't jump off and just start flapping. Huh, strange even for one of his mother's birds. It was a good sign, though.

For the next hour or so, he walked her around the apartment, explaining what things were, what they did, and exposing her to some of the functions that might make her freakout. Having five feet of powerful wings lose it in such a tiny apartment was far from ideal. At least she hadn't bated; it just made life so much easier.

With that done and satisfied she wouldn't freak out, he untied her leash and settled in the chair. Well, he had some buddies to at least leave messages for when they woke up...

α

The sound of soft breathing cut through her awareness, followed shortly by an unfamiliar sensation. It almost felt like carpet but the warmth..

Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked. What... A dog...? How had that gotten here...? White tugged at her attention and she went rigid.

A massive raptor tucked its head under its almost entirely white wing, black barring adorning the very tips of its feathers. Another smaller, but still large, perched on her desk chair, a strange leather mask molded to its head shape, breathing deeply and easily. Much more black barred its feathers, looking like a snowy owl almost…

Just what...? Where...? How...?

The clock bled 213 even in the light of the apartment. Why did she suddenly feel like a prisoner in her safe haven...?

She just sat up and curled in on herself, pulling the blanket around her. It hadn't even felt this cold and empty after leaving Schnee manor with such limited communication with Coco… Would things ever get better...?

_ Weiss _.

No.

She couldn't give up.

Her sister needed her. She was her only hope of getting her out of that accursed prison.

Feathers rustled near her and she tensed as the large raptor roused, shuffling its way to her. Its massive beak reached out... just to start running gently through her hair. What...? What was it—

A soft chuckle and her had snapped to Qrow. "It's all right, Winter. That's Mono, one of my mother's birds and seems like she's inherited almost every bit of her temperament. She's about as gentle as they come—my mother or her bird."

"…An aura breed then?" She glanced down at the sleeping hound near her feet. "The dog too?" She didn't have experience with either normal animals or aura breeds unless one counted the couple of times she'd been allowed on a horse, only to try to make a break for it.

That just earned a chuckle as he nodded. "Yup. My home tribe uses only aura breeds. Much easier to survive in the wilds when all your animals can learn from your mistakes, theirs, and those of others."

"That's fair enough but... how...? Why?" His tribe was from Mistral, right? How could he get three animals into _ Atlas _without quarantine, licenses, and all of that documentation...? It made no sense.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "My sister's Semblance lets her hop across any distance as long as she has a bond with some one. The only reason I had her come in here was to tie Kiyay to your desk. I didn't want to let her in period but not exactly easy to try to deal with knots when you have a bird on each hand." Her blood ran cold. A stranger had been in here after...? Even another woman—

She looked up desperately at Coco, gripping the blanket. "It was literally for about three minutes, Wint. She left asap: I promise." But still—

"Why?" Her voice shook as her attention settled back on Qrow. Why these birds? Why this dog? Just what was he thinking?

Qrow's head simsimply dropped into his hands, shoulders raised. "I hope you can forgive me, Winter, but after a couple of hours ago…it's clear you can't be left alone here... I know I shouldn't have made that decision with tiy asleep but... "A lightbulb popped in the lamp and the masked Falcon started flapping wildly, letting out load chittering noises. What in the hell had— She'd just replaced that bulb a few weeks ago! But she smiled a fraction despite herself when Qrow's soft voice managed to calm the freaking falcon out. Their first encounter had been so pleasant-

Wait.

She touched her face before staring incredulously at her hands. She was supposed to be having a meltdown about him staying with her, not smiling like a buffoon while he cooed at a bird that could rip her face off! What had gotten _ into _ her?! Seriously, she'd narrowly avoided being _ raped _just a few hours ago!

She just collapsed on herself, tucking her forehead against her knees while ignoring the falcon's—Mono—beak in her hair. Why was she so relatively calm now? She was exhausted, certainly, but after that? She should've been terrified that Qrow had just announced he'd be moving in with her—a roughly forty year old man with a girl barely approaching a year of age.

But, here she was, smiling while he worked to calm down a bird that could harm her significantly, aura or not.

What had gotten into her?

The silence soon enveloped the room and she looked up. The falcon had calmed and he'd settled back in his chair, slumping a bit, though is attention sat on her. "I brought them here for security. A single Seta can take down a bear by itself while one of our gyrfalcons can take down a buck—and that's not a white-tailed deer either; Sika are considerably smaller, but still.

"I figure the birds can keep an eye on the outside while the dog can be insurance if I have to leave for some reason. Iroki's more of a pet than a hunter, but since she's my mother's dog, she's gonna be protective as hell. _ Nobody _fucks with somebody a Seta's protecting and walks away from it easily." That... did make perfect sense. Air recon and a secondary bodyguard... It was sound reasoning. Something did bother her, though.

"I've read somewhere aura breeds don't transfer handlers well unless socialised in a specific way before they begin to reason especially if hand reared. This one seems…oddly friendly. And why is the other masked?" Her cheeks warmed a bit. Simple questions that could've been answered with basic research, but it was an area she just hadn't looked into...

"Ah, that. Just like people, aura breeds are individuals and have their own personalities. They specifically take on some part of their handler's personality." He smiled and chuckled as he looked at Mono. "Seems like she's taken on the majority of my mother's personality which includes her steadiness and flexibility.

"Kiyay seemingly hasn't so I'm keeping him hooded till I can fully work with him to acclimate him to the new environment. The dark of the hood keeps raptors calm since sight's their primary sense." That... did make logical sense. They _ were _diurnal hunters as far as she knew... But still... For an aura breed to be so calm and collated with a new handler so soon…

His mother must've been an amazing person...

"Anyway, why don't you do some work or something? I need to get some shut eye. Mono will prolly hover close to you because of how my mother is. Mind if I use your guest room?" He yawned a bit and she shook her head.

"It's your room for the foreseeable future, so make of it what you will." Why bother putting up a fight with him staying? He was right; she had said she wasn't safe even here herself. If only it had been longer than a single night and morning in

Qrow got up and offered a bow before leaving. She just curled in on herself again. Had she just sentenced herself to being trapped with a man that would treat her little better than Gelé had? He hadn't hurt her in close to six hours, but the world's best Hunter certainly had to have some tricks up his sleeve. It was just a matter of time until he took advantage of her in some shape, way, or form. If not sexually, then financially or emotionally. Nobody was kind like that. Even Coco benefitted from their relationship, benign though it was.

He'd reveal his true colors in time.

She just _ knew _it.


	7. Chapter 7

Winter watched as Qrow retired for the night from her periphery, just sitting in the silence until Mono started chittering at her, running her hair through her beak. "I can't understand you, you know." Aura breeds were supremely intelligent but this bird was apparently dim enough to not grasp the concept of a language barrier.

The only response she got were ruffled feathers and continual, failed attempts at communication.

The other did start to chitter, though, and Mono looked at Winter expectantly. What did she want? Her friend unmasked? But Qrow had said that it was best to keep it blinded... To try to handle such a powerful animal without any sort of knowledge would be foolhardy at best but…

The chirping grew in insistance. "What do you want me to do?" Mono tilted her head, only for Winter to sigh. This really was a fruitless endeavor.

The bird extended her wing, Winter just staring. Language barrier was one thing; trying to understand an art she hadn't the foggiest about was another.

"She just wants you to take her over to Kiyay." That voice—

The AI?

A small figure stood in the corner of the webcam feed, smiling Warmly. "Wha—"

"I'm using your wireless network to broadcast from Qrow's scroll. It's pretty damn impressive but I already had Coco's signal so wasn't too hard to get in." The little figure grinned and folded its arms behind its head. This thing was going to be a pain in the ass at times, wasn't it? But if it could help at the moment.

"Can you understand what the birds are saying?" On second thought, that was stupid. Why would an AI have-

"Not yet, but given enough time and repetition, I can use my pre-coded translation software to. I can translate from Atlassian to Branwae for the birds for you."

What.

There was no software that could do that, not in real time like that. Plus nobody could be smart enough to code—

She was speaking to an AI that even the likes of the Atlas sian military hadn't developed. And its voice and tone were wholly organic. The Standard Atlassian accent perfectly native. Was Summer from Vale or Atlas...?

...The full extent of this AI seemed more and more terrifying the deeper she thought about it.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble. Even one-way communication would be better than _ this _." Animals were not her strong suit and never would be, especially not aura breeds…

A moment passed as the I spoke to Mono and the bird bobbed her head, ruffling her feathers and just leaving them puffed up. "Like I said, all she wants is to go over to her mate and she doesn't want to scare you by moving too much. Get in the top right pocket of the bag; you should find Qrow's glove in there and probably Dove's if I knew her even half as well as I do."

Winter eyed Mono's talons before nodding and doing so. She withdrew a much more petite glove than Qrow's—Dove's, then…—and tugged it on. Tight but not entirely ill fitting. She was apparently a much slimmer woman than herself, but not entirely surprising. "Do I need anything else?"

"Nope. Just have her step up and bring her over here. You'll need to do the same with Kiyay if you want him to get off your desk chair." Well if Mono wanted her mate…

Taking in a deep breath, she held her hand up and Mono's feathers laid against her body, a long moment passing before she stepped up. Winter tensed a bit under the falcon's grip and looked at the AI. "Did I do something to offend her?" An angry falcon that could take out a buck that was no doubt much heavier than her was _ not _a good thing.

With a single word from the AI, Mono stepped back onto the couch. A few images popped up on the screen and Winter flushed. Oh.. She'd held her hand entirely wring but—

Could she truly berate herself for mistakes this time? Normally they were unacceptable. but this world was alien to her. She was just an interloper, pretending to try to understand…

At least Mono balanced much more easily this time and Kiyay, though masked as he was, even responded easily with some help from Summer. At least she could get to work now...

α

One hour.

It'd only been one hour since she'd started work?! And she normally wouldn't be awake for another two or so…

She slumped in her chair eyes shut. Even her work couldn't keep her mind off of what had happened. Coco was gone and Qrow was asleep so she was—

Kiyay started chittering, tugging at his mask with his talons and she heard Summer chuckle. "Hey Winter, want to try unhooding him? I think he wants to see Mono." The bird just chittered something and Winter sighed.

'"I don't have much choice, do I?" With how much Kiyay was picking at his mask-hood. Summer and Qrow had used the word multiple times. But how? How was she supposed to do something she hadn't the foggiest about? Normally, she would just do it, but if she damaged the raptor's eyes due to negligence…

There was no telling _ what _Qrow would do to her.

A shiver went up her spine unbidden.

Almost as if reading her mind, the AI brought up a video and slayed it several times. "...Thank you." She shouldn't need this much help but in this case, the birds might come to harm if she weren't careful. If it were only herself, it'd be acceptable but somebody else's companions?

Unforgivable.

With awkward motions, she managed to use the cloth sides and took off the hood. Kiyay flapped a bit. letting out nervous chittering noises, but she paused for a moment before holding her hand out. His head tilted back and forth several times before he hesitantly stepped up.

Huh... His feathers were soft and silky... Odd but not in an unpleasant way and a smile ghosted across her lips. "I know this is all new and scary for you, but it'll be okay; you're safe here." She heard Summer intone the message in Branwae and the bird just fluffed his feathers before leaning into her. Maybe these birds wouldn't be so bad...

Ω

Qrow sighed as he rolled over in bed, the minutes dragging by. Even with as busy as tomorrow was., the sound of the lightbulb shattering still rang in his ears. It was just a lightbulb but... it was only a matter of time until something wins e happened.

It was only a matter of time until history repeated itself.

It was only a matter of time until Winter ended up like Summer.

Or worse.

He balled his scroll out and sighed, looking at Raven's text string before shaking his head. No, no Grade Twelve in the tribe would do it. An exile and something that went against a deep-set code of advanced aura ethics...?

Social suicide.

There probably wasn't anybody in Atlas, but maybe his contacts would know of somebody... Plus Mantle liked him, so maybe he could find someone willing to do it. Every kingdom had advanced aura users, but a Grade Twelve in Atlas...?

Ancestors, this would _ not _pan out, but he couldn't let history repeat itself; Winter couldn't end like Summer.

Unfortunately, after forty-five minutes of asking around, things only panned out like he had thought. If they didn't just laugh him off, he just got no response. It sounded insane but it wasn't... Damn it! Just…damn it... He didn't want to hurt her but—

_ Robyn Hill. _

His eyes snapped open at the text.

_ What? _

_ If anyone can point you in the night direction, it's you. Chick's always had her finger on the pulse of Mantle even before she entered Atlas Academy. I can set you up a meeting with her in 30 to if you want. _

The text on his screen blurred and he ran his hand over his eyes. No, he couldn't get his hopes up;i it would just end in disaster as always. What were they thinking, his Semblance wasn't just—

_ Please _.

_ Will do, bird. Lemme get an address. _

Qrow just fell silent, hands shaking. No, no, he couldn't get his hopes up. Never never never. Last time he had, Summer had died. She'd been so happy, so expectant. But she'd never gotten that book _ because _of him. If he could just keep Winter safe…

An address popped up on his screen and he dropped his scroll on the bed. Winter would be better off with Summer and it wouldn't be that long. Go in, make contact, come back. She had Mono and Iroki; it'd be fine.

An icy chill out through the room and black feathers turned to ink in the night sky. Hopefully this would pan out.

If it didn't, he was fuck out of even bad luck.


	8. Chapter 8

Lamp lights flickered overhead and Qrow shivered as the wind cut through his thin clothes. He really should've thought this one through a little bit more but he was desperate; could anybody blame him? Even in a tribe of major it advanced aura users, only about five to seven people reached Grade Twelve. This was a huge long shot but maybe…just maybe something would work in his favor…

He glanced around, hand ready to grab his dagger. Snow crunched nearby and he spun on his heel, a white-haired woman greeting his vision. "Woah, take it easy, buddy. You Qrow? I'm Robyn Hill. Jonas set us up." Well, at least that checked out; not a lot of people had his real name…

"Yeah; I'm Qrow Branwen." The woman held her hand out for him to shake and he narrowed his eyes a bit. Why was she gathering aura in her hand like that? It didn't make any sense.

"Geeze, you need to relay, you old geezer." He just grunted.

"Come on; there's a little cafe over there We can talk at. "This one certainly was flippant, wasn't she? He just nodded and she dropped her hand.

Honestly, the warmth of the café was welcome. They each placed their orders and settled in a corner of the room. He took a long drink from the coffee. He hadn't had anything to drink—booze or otherwise—in far too long and the several hours of talking hadn't helped at all. He probably wouldn't get back to sleep either, so might as well get a pick-me-up…

"So Jonas said you needed info. I've got basically anything you could need but I _ don't _give it away freely. I have people to protect and if I say the wrong thing, they might get hurt somehow. So tell me what you need and I'll see if I can help." Robyn's tone remained even the whole time and Qrow mentally groaned. Why had Jonas hooked him us with such a tight-lipped woman? It was an emergency and this is what he ended up with.

Just his fucking luck.

But he didn't have much choice, did he?

"What I'm gonna say will prolly sound nuts, but I promise it's the truth. I need someone that can use their aura in a way that transcends what normal people can do. Beyond semblance and simple defensive shielding and even offensive aura—I need someone that can manipulate somebody else's soul with theirs.''

And there it was.

If she didn't laugh him out of the cafe right then and there—

She just held up her hand, aura once again pooling in it. "You're right, it does sound somewhat unbelievable. Mind patting it to the test?" Her tone remained even but there was a warmth to it and he just narrowed his eyes. So that was her game, was it?

"You already have the intel I want; you don't need your little parlor trick Semblance to verify my words." So that was what she'd been trying to do earlier…

"Wait, _ what _? Did you seriously just—"

"I felt your aura flowing to your hand when you tried to shake my hand earlier and it was written all over it you weren't too surprised by what I was asking for. It's common for people with Semblances that read someone else to try to ball something similar to what you are. Lie detection, I'm guessing?" His expression and the flattened. Damn it, people like this woman were nothing but a rain in the ass. Always trying to make sure they were in control of any given situation... What had caused her to be such a control freak?

Robyn blinked before smiling and let out a small 'heh.' "I guess you're the world's best Hunter for a _ reason _, Branwen. So I've got what you want. Can you offer something that'll make it worth my while?" Well at least she was dropping the pretenses now…

"Not really. I haven't really been out in 'bout two weeks aside from getting more booze. Plus, do you think someone like _ me _ would give information to _ you _when it's solely beneficial for me to keep it?" Everyone knew he was a lone wolf. Him giving information out to some Huntress he'd probably never cross paths with again? Not that he had anything to give her...

"Fair enough so can I at least get a why?" Robyn held her hand out again and he took it.

"Can't say much beyond this but it's for the protection of the one I'm currently guarding. No, I'm not telling you who or exactly what I want with an advanced aura user." Far too personal and it might put Winter in danger. Anybody aside from Coco and the Ace Ops knowing about this was just way too dangerous.

"Well, your words check out so think you could give me some o-re info on what _ exactly _advanced aura is? I've never heard-fit before."

He gave a faint nod, taking a drink of his coffee. "Yeah, that is something I can do no problem. Put simply, it's the esoteric side of aura. It's a way of life you have to commit yourself to. You learn about everything through yourself. You learn how everything is connected and can really recognise how your actions impact others. Doesn't mean you can't act impulsively; my sister was Grade Nine entering Beacon and the team was 280% of her impulse control but it still wasn't enough." A faint smile formed on his lips. Even if the STRQ memories were usually nothing but pain especially in Atlas, Raven shooting off with him and Summer trying to corral her still amused him endlessly.

"Grade? What's that all about?" Robyn raised an eyebrow and he sighed. Exposition dumps sure were fun…

"I'll explain that then you give me the intel, okay? Also how god are you with Valian? I know the book that's regarded as the handbook for this. It's translated from ancient Qin in central Mistral." Would a Huntress from Atlas know standard Central Mistrali'? Valian was a lot more likely…

"Pretty fluent. I can understand a lot of legal-ese, so some esoteric philosophy shouldn't be too bad. But sounds like a deal." Robyn smiled and proposed her chin up on her hand, eyes expectant. This woman really was something else, wasn't she? He'd normally get laughed out for this.

"So the short of it is that there are twelve techniques that start from just being able to feel your aura flow to being able to heal someone else's trauma with your own soul."

Robyn blinked, her aura churning uncomfortably. "Wait, so you want somebody toking for somebody that can do that to you?" Well, she certainly sooke her mind, didn't she? Not that it wasn't obvious before…

But he just ignored it. "You know how I've been reading your unspoken emotions?"

"Unfortunately." She sighed, shoulders dropping. Not so used to being on the back foot, eh?

"That's Grade Nine: sensing aura blockages. Highest I can go personally. It can get a lot more specific than what I can do though; someone trained enough could read someone's entire history." In theory, that was. He'd at least never met anyone that good. Grade Nine was rare enough; for them to be that trained?

Basically impossible.

"So I see. Well I have a lot more questions, but I'll leave it there." Robyn leaned forward, holding her hand up to his ear. "I have reliable sources that say Kali Belladonna and Sienna Khan have multiple aura abilities beyond Semblance. Former and current SDC workers have said they felt Kali calm them down even if their aura isn't active."

Qrow blinked and stared at Robyn. "As in the founder of the—"

The woman parsed her lips and held a finger over them but nodded. Great... Just his fucking luck... That was definitely the description of an extremely high Grade Eleven at least, but still… -

Just his fucking luck.

"Do you know where she is?" There was no point in having the intel if he couldn't use it…

"Vale last I knew, I've heard she's a pretty selfless person but still... Can you really trust her with something as sensitive as a una manipulation?"

"I've never known a bad high-Grade advanced aura user, but they c. uld exist in theory.." He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. Hopefully this wouldnt be the one time it bit him in the ass but there was a first time for everything…

"Anyway, thanks for the Intel, I'll drop the book off to Luc is tomorrow and he can pass it to You. Sound good?"

'Yep. Maybe we'll cross paths again, beardy." she gave him finger guns and he just rolled his eyes. What a strange woman. Not his concern though.. At least he had the intel…

With that, he headed outside and the icy wind f. re through his feathers. Raven wasn't going to be too happy to hear from him again later.

α

Winter looked up when she heard the guest room door click and tensed as Qnow walked out. He…looked like he'd been through the grinder. Wasn't he supposed to be asleep? Then again, it'd been a rough night for both of them... Plus it wasn't her mace to poke her nose into it... What good was she when it came to people in the first place?

" …Hey Winter, got any tea? If so, mind if I use your kitchen to make some?"

"Go ahead. There's some in the cupboard near the sink."

"Want any?" And risk poisoning or drugs?

"No thank you, sir; I'm fine."

"Have you had anything to drink since I went to bed.

…Oh. No wonder her throat felt so raw. Water never really crossed her mind at times like this.

She shifted to get us from the chair, but Kiyay started chittering softly, moving close to her. "Wait, you unhooded him?" The question made Winter freeze and her blood turned to ice. Oh no. She'd made a horrible mistake in doing that, hadn't she? Summer had guided her through it and said it was okay. but it wasn't her bird. It wasn't even _ Qrow's _, but he knew how to deal with them.

What would his retribution be?

"Can't say I expected him to take to someone other than my mother so readily. Thought it'd take a fair bit of manning to do that. Glad to see it though." Wait... What...? That…was it? She'd violated some sort of boundary but he was just brushing it off...? How could he be so relaxed about it...?

"Y-Yeah... He was putting up a pretty big fuss and wanted to see Mono... I-I'm sorry..." All she could do was apologise... Things had turned out fine but even so... She needed to accept whatever consequences came with her actions... It was only right.

Qnow sat a glass of water on her desk and undid the knot binding Kiyay's…leather leg straps. "Nah it's fine, just changes things a little." Huh? What was he planning? Nothing good, nodoubt. "Actually, I was just gonna ask if you wanted to learn to fly the birds… I thought it might be something kind of fun and different for you... Plus, it'd hopefully help you feel more comfortable with them… Seeing them in flight and working with them is a lot different than them just sitting here…"

That... did make some level of sense. She'd only ever seen raptors at a distance and now being so close to such large 'n es... It was definitely unnerving though Kiyay sitting here had done nothing but seek comfort. Plus Mono hadn't moved when wanting to earlier… They did seem a lot gentler than they looked. "Okay."

Plus... maybe she could learn about Qrow too. Wasn't there some quote about how one treated animals measured the purity of one's soul or something along those lines? Plus, these were aura breeds, highly attuned to people and their moods. They'd obviously been treated well to be so calm in such an alien environment if he did anything against them, they'd let him know.

Qrow did stand back up a moment later, though. and she tensed. "Um, this is kind of awkward, but could you put Kiyay down and I hold your hand...? I-It's just so I can get a feel for the size of it and can get a better glove for you..." What... Was she supposed to do? She still didn't want him to touch her but... Dove's glove was uncomfortably tight in areas.

"Very well.'' With a breath in, she extended her hand and he surrounded it with both of his. They were warm just like before but now she noticed the rough surfaces. Hard, cracked, and calloused... It spoke to the decades of labor and living in the wilderness. And yet, he barely touched her skin. skin soft, smooth, and unmarred despite her own intense combat training. How fascinating.

But it stooped almost as soon as it began and he stepped back. "All right, I got a good feel for the sizing."

She got up and retrieved a glass before settling back at her desk. After a moment of consideration, she pulled the glove back on and went back to the couch with Kiyay. Things at least seemed to be winding down for now.

For all of about fifteen minutes until Qrow broke the surprisingly comfortable silence. "Winter, I'm not trying to freak you out or anything but I was thinking... maybe I could take over the domestic duties...? Cooking, cleaning, and all that. You have enough stress as it is, so I thought it'd be helpful for you..."

He... wanted to handle the food? That'd give him a chance to slip something into it…

She just heard him sigh. "Is there _ anything _I can do to prove to you that you can trust me?"

Was there? She chewed the inside of her lip, throat suddenly dry again. There was only one way _ she _knew of bat to bridge that gap.

But then again in a few days…

She let Kiyay perch on the back of the couch and removed the glove just to offer her hand to him.

"Dance with me."

Qrow's eyes widened and she saw the color drain from his face. Okay... That was weird... Most men would jump at the chance to dance with her... "Are you sure, Winter? It's putting you in such a vulnerable position and—"

"It's the best way I know to ascertain a person's true heart." As ridiculous as it sounded... Now that she said it out loud... Her hand did shake at the reminder, though. If he was going to take advantage of her it would certainly be now…

After a long moment. he stood and put a hand behind his back, bowing slightly at the waist with his right hand extended. "Shall we keep it to the simple box step?" Her nose wrinkled a bit but she nodded. It was the safest and easiest but, by the Holy Father, did she _ hate _it. Stuffy, droll, lacking in any and all passion, a complete disgrace and affront to the art…

She glanced at the TV when waltz music started to play. Summer just grinned, flashing a thumbs up. That thing really would drive her to an early grave…and she'd just met it a few hours ago.

With a wavering breath, she put her trembling hand in his. Wait. His was shaking too? He did move into place and pulled her into the smoothest glide she'd ever experienced. He was a master of the art. It didn't make any sense for how he was. Just_ who _ was this man? A lone Huntsman with a reputation for drinking and being ruthless yet gentle with children (according to the videos from a few days ago) with a massive memory for poetry and a master of ballroom dance? This made literally no sense. And _ he _wanted to handle the domestic duties? No man in their right mind would—

He just defied all logic and sense.

And his touch was so very light with holding her…

He responded almost instantly to her minute weight shift, going into a full waltz. She just looked up at him, startled. How had he—

"Decades of practice and a very unique dance partner."

Damn that thought reading of his.

But… She was actually having—

No.

Winter, that was preposterous.

She stepped away once the song ended, not looking up at him. "I suppose I can allow you to cook." As loathe as she was to pass duties to anybody else. Just how weak was she for failing to uphold even a _ basic _duty as cooking for herself?

"I should get ready for work." It was at least starting to get close to that time. She didn't give him a chance to respond before she went into her room and locked the door, sliding down it.

What was wrong with her? She shouldn't have wanted him to keep holding her hand…and now she'd wanted to keep dancing with him. Just what was her mind _ doing _ ? This made _ no _sense.

Or…was he doing something to her she didn't even realise?

What was _ wrong _ with non-Atlassians? Nothing about them made _ any _sense! Even for as much as she cared about Coco, she couldn't understand her… Why was the world outside of Atlas so chaotic? Why couldn't everything be neat and orderly like Atlas?

Why?

Why did none of this make _ any _sense?


	9. Chapter 9

Winter let out a sigh as she looked in the mirror. Uniform straight and pressed, hair up in the usual bun, not a hair—

Damn it.

She really didn't have time to deal with the stray strands. Qrow had to be nearly done with breakfast; she could smell it…

Wait.

Those scents were definitely _ not _Atlassian but... it actually smelled enticing. When was the last time she'd actually been excited to eat? Not even Schnee manor had had much that she looked forward to aside from the occasional dessert.

She needed to let her mind stop wandering. She was a complete _ mess _ right now. Absolutely unacceptable especially so close to work. Shaking herself, she headed out of her room and settled at the table. Huh...? A book of poetry? _ Splintered Memory _ by Wilhelm Yves...? What was this doing here? Definitely not hers…

Flipping open to the title page revealed a signature and message:

_ Summer, good to hear from you! I'm so glad you got a copy. Thanks so much for the support! I look forward to our next collaboration! _

_ -Wil _

Qrow sat a plate down in front of her and her head snapped up. "What...?" What was this book? Why was it there? Why did Qrow have it? It made no sense. What game was he playing? "I'll explain after we eat. Okay?"

"But I need to—"

"Winter, it's not even five thirty and it's not like you have that far to walk. Plus you don't have to work until—"

"Seven." Winter glared over her shoulder at her best friend who just grinned through the webcam. "Traitor."

"Nope, just helping out my best friend and making sure she doesn't totally drive herself into the ground when she's already stressed to hell and back." No, she was just a dirty traitor no matter what justification she gave.

Though, predictably, Winter soon found herself staring at the last half of her meal. It was far too much effort to try to get it down her tight throat into her knotted stomach. She didn't want to leave. Leaving just... She _ couldn't _ but she _ had _to... She couldn't break her perfect attendance but to leave…

A numb feeling began to spread over her body, her breathing spiking. She felt her whole body begin to shake and she wrapped her arms around herself. Damn it, not this bullshit again... Why...? Not since...

But she couldn't... Too... What if _ he _showed up while she...? Weiss—

She tensed when she caught Qrow approaching and tears filled her eyes. This was it, wasn't it...? He was finally going to... Her head just bowed us one of his hands rested over hers. Yes, it finally—

Huh?

A warmth unlike anything she'd ever felt before wrapped around her. Wait... His aura... around her...? But how...? So warm though... So gentle and sweet... Calm... So very calm…

Her breathing slowed over the next several minutes and she looked at him. "What...? How...?" But his Semblance…

"You were having a panic attack and it was more advanced aura. Grade Seven—emotional calm. You just wrap your aura around someone else. Doesn't force a change in mood, though; it's just kinda like wraping the target in a blanket." His tone was extremely gentle as he spoke and she nodded a bit. Well, that did line up with what he'd done... It had shortened the weakness attack. She'd wanted it to end, so maybe it had hastened the process...? Either way, it didn't really matter…

"Also sorry for touching you without permission; there just wasn't much choice here." He looked away and she hesitated for a moment before putting her free hand over his. A shiver went down her spine, unbidden.

_ "You are to never touch a man that is above you." _

She shoved away Gelé's voice as best she could. "Thank you." This did mark a dangerous acceptance which would probably lead down a fast, slippery slope, but just for this once... it was welcome. His aura was just... so warm. It'd be awful when he pulled away. But it would have to eventually.

Unfortunately, he did pull back and she sighed. Why did him pulling back like that always left her feeling empty? It made no sense... Why did anything outside of Atlas make so little sense? Tears welled in her eyes but she pushed them aside. No need to cry over something so stupid.

She picked up the book and settled on the couch near Kiyay while Qrow sat in one of the chairs. His shoulders just dropped as he rested his head in his hands. "So about the book. Mind opening to page 137?"

_ The Lover Tells Of The Rose In His Heart _?

She looked up at him for a moment until he started to speak.

_ "All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old, _

_ The cry of a child by the roadway, the creak of a lumbering cart, _

_ The heavy steps of the ploughman, splashing the wintry mould, _

_ Are wronging your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart. _

_ The wrong of unshapely things, is a wrong too great to be told; _

_ I hunger to build them anew, and sit on a green knoll apart, _

_ With the earth and the sky and the water, re-made like a casket of gold _

_ For my dreams of your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart." _

His words hung heavy in the air and she just looked at him. Even if people weren't her thing, she wasn't stupid. "...I'm sorry." To lose somebody so dear... What must it be like? Even now, she remained privileged. She would likely never know the pain of such loss. Even Weiss, though separated from her, wasn't truly lost.

"...She asked me to get that signed by one of her contemporaries and closest friends in the potery community. Wilhelm was just up and coming at that time, an obscure nobody.

"Little did I know that was the last time I'd see her. Needless to say, I was here in Atlas when she died.

"So keep the book. Hold on to it. If I do something to hurt you, get rid of it somehow. Burn it. Shred it. Drown it. Hell, sell it and get upwards of fifteen thousand lien. That's a first edition and one of only five hundred copies on the planet. possibly less now. Signed like that will at least double the price, prolly triple it with the nigh-mint condition."

So... destroy a huge piece of him in return if he hurt her... This really was an odd move but it did show that he was at least partially serious. She still didn't entirely trust him but…

"Very well."

It gave her _ some _ form of insurance if nothing else. She didn't normally retaliate unless it was Gelé. Here, though, _ anything _she could get was welcome.

"By the way, Wint, I think you might've forgotten that General Ironwood approved those two vacation days you asked for today and tomorrow." Winter's head snapped up before she sighed, burying her face in her hands. She really needed to scold Coco. So casually hacking the military's data bases wasn't right. Especially not for her own personal ends like this but…

She didn't want to leave. She was... afraid. Nothing felt safe right now, not even her own apartment. It was the closest thing, but even so. And she didn't even want to be away from Qrow which was the worst part. He could still cause untold damage to her on _ any _ front. But he was the only thing standing between her and _ him _.

An unbidden shiver ran up her spine.

"Hey, Winter?" Qrow's gentle voice made her look up and she shoved the tears away. Now was not the time for this. Even if she didn't have to work today, she just needed to get _ over _it.

"Yes?" She just internally cringed at the shake in her voice.

Damn weakness.

"With everything going on... how about we establish some boundaries...?"

"...Excuse me?" What... did that mean? Tell him where he wasn't allowed in the apartment? It was pretty obvious…

Qrow just stared at her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "What I mean is what's okay for me to do and not. I'm a man in your space that basically pushed his way in. Good reason or not... I think having some ground rules would be a good idea." He glanced down at her lap. "Plus... if I violate them, it'll give you an idea of when to do with that as you wish."

People... did that? But... it would make life easier... even if she had no idea what she was doing. "Okay... Um..."

Silence fell and she felt panic rise in her chest again.

_ "You exist only for man's pleasure. You have no right to anything." _

"Hey, Winter; look at me." Her head snapped up, breaths suddenly heavy and labored. What...? What had just happened? Why was she so unhinged all of a sudden? This made no sense. She was perfect; something as stupid as what had happened shouldn't be holding Dower over her any longer.

And neither should Gelé.

She just gripped the sides of her head. Why was she being so illogical and stupid.

"Hey, mind if I sit next to you and do what I did earlier with my aura?" Her heart pounded in her chest but she shook her head. If it'd get this damn insanity under control, it was worth it. She did tense as he approached and sat near her, holding one hand out on the couch. What was he—

Oh.

Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his and the gentle warmth surrounded her again. Why was she so drawn to this? Why was her life suddenly so illogical? Nothing over the past less than twenty-four hours made any sense. This was se dangerous... She shouldn't be letting him so near but it was all she could do at the moment.

Thankfully, she did calm down shortly and squeezed his hand. "I apologise for all of this; I'm usually not this unstable." Stupid, silly little girl. She was better than this. Emotions were nothing but tools to be used as weapons and such a sign of weakness.

"No, it's all right. Do you think you feel us to talking now? I'll keep my aura going to help keep you calm." She really shouldn't need it but even she was smart enough to concede the point, though she didn't verbalise it.

Qrow did let out a breath though. "And I hate to do this, but with your reaction... how about I lead the conversation? I know, a man telling you what to do with your mind, body, and space is the _ last _thing you need right now. But you'll probably just have that same negative reaction again. Do you think you can negotiate after I present a point?"

Her heart dropped through her stomach. He was probably right. She wasn't supposed to have a voice and to tell a man what to do especially one of General Ironwood's associates... She just…

"I-I can try." It was all she could really promise. She could speak to the general on equal terms but anybody else...? She just had to bend and bow to her male superiors. How was she supposed to do this...?

She felt the warmth double down and she looked at him, greeted by a gentle smile. She... had to try for the sake of her own safety... This was so less than ideal, but at least he was acknowledging it...

"First is probably the most important thing: I will _not _lay a hand on you without your consent unless it's some sort of emergency." That was perfectly reasonable and, frankly, a relief. She didn't entirely trust him, of course, but…

"What is the definition of emergency here? "she narrowed her eyes a little. What one Denson defined as an emergency could vary. There were some pretty obvious things they could likely agree on. Even so, to be caught of guard by him... That book would go up in flames sooner rather than later.

"Obviously things like if you freeze up for a moment and you're in harm's way. some sort of medical issue, that sort of thing is agreeable, right?" she just nodded. No issue there; all commonsense stuff.

"The main negotiable part is when it comes to your mental state." Bile rose in the back of her throat and she narrowed her eyes. Such insolence!

"I'm perfectly fine mentally; thank you!" How dare he! She might be a little unhinged now, but it'd wear off in a day or two! It wouldn't be a long-term problem.

"I think me needing to keep you calm right now begs to differ."

"I'll be fine soon enough." It wouldn't last much longer. She always shrugged it off. Not even Gelé had kept her down for long.

Qrow just sighed, resting his forehead in his free hand. "Winter, tell me: what do you know about mental health?"

"Huh?" Her mind was perfectly healthy.

"I think we need to have a talk about how people respond to trauma."

"I'll get links as you need them," Coco chimed in.

α

Winter's head rested on her knees, breaths rapid and shallow. That... explained _ far _ too much... But still... She was weak, so very weak... Gelé _ still _controlled her even though she'd been away from him for nearly three years. How was she supposed to live when her thinking would be shackled for probably the rest of her life? Her mind would never truly be her own…

"Hey, why don't we head outside for a bit?" She glanced at him. What was he—

The leather blocking her view answered that. She just nodded and put the glove on while Qrow tied Mono to another glove he withdrew from the bag. But why did she need one if he was only bringing her? He muttered something under his breath she didn't catch but she simply followed him outside.

"You remember how to hold the bird, right?"

"I-Yes, of course." She shifted her position and held her hand out, just looking at Qrow. What was he planning on doing? What was all of this about?

"Mind if I come over and sit her on your fist?" She tensed a bit but shook her head. Damnable anxiety... Damn her for having it in the first place... If only she hadn't been triggered by what had happened…

He walked a fair distance away and she looked at Mono. How very strange this was... The bird did hold her wings out and she blinked.

Oh, right…

Instinctively, she held her hand over her head and Momo took off. She actually smiled a bit as she felt the lift from the powerful wings wash air over her. She climbed into the air a fair bit, still visible, but high enough that she was a little hard to see. How beautiful... Even so far away, it wasn't hard to imagine the sheer _ joy _Mono must've felt... If only she could feel it herself. The freedom. the exhilaration, riding the wind... If only she could follow her in to the sky like that…

A loud, sharp whistle stopped her thoughts and she clapped her hands over ears. What in the hell?! Her head snapped over to Qrow who had his hand over his head, following Mono with his eyes. His body language betrayed she wasn't doing what he wanted to apparently…

He did turn to her and held his hand out. She blinked but nodded. -raising her arm like she had before. Mono wasted no time in descending and landing with precise control. Winter's smile returning.

"Sorry about disrupting the magic of the moment; I just wanted her to go from you to me, but she had other ideas apparently..." Qrow sighed as he approached and she shook her head with a smile.

"It's all right, it was... Wonderful.." If this was what flying was like, then she looked forward to doing it more. Today would be awful but at least she had this...

* * *

Poem is The Lover Tells Of The Rose In His Heart by W. B. Yeats. I just changed the name to something that follows in-universe naming rules.


End file.
